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cbabe
cbabe's Journal
cbabe's Journal
March 19, 2026
Possum shocks staff after hiding in toy animals in airport gift shop
Story by Rod McGuirk • 3h
An Australian airport gift shop offered a truly authentic wildlife experience this week when a passenger discovered a living possum nestled among its shelves of cuddly toy native animals.
…
Liam Bloomfield, an airport retail manager, recounted the moment of discovery on Thursday. "A passenger reported it to …. one of the staff members on shift who couldn’t quite believe what she was hearing," he explained. "She then called the (airport) management and said we’ve got a possum in the store."
… more … video at link …
Possum shocks staff after hiding in toy animals in airport gift shop
https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/possum-shocks-staff-after-hiding-in-toy-animals-in-airport-gift-shop/ar-AA1YXlsfPossum shocks staff after hiding in toy animals in airport gift shop
Story by Rod McGuirk • 3h
An Australian airport gift shop offered a truly authentic wildlife experience this week when a passenger discovered a living possum nestled among its shelves of cuddly toy native animals.
…
Liam Bloomfield, an airport retail manager, recounted the moment of discovery on Thursday. "A passenger reported it to …. one of the staff members on shift who couldn’t quite believe what she was hearing," he explained. "She then called the (airport) management and said we’ve got a possum in the store."
… more … video at link …
March 18, 2026
AI-Powered Robot Dogs Guarding Reviled Data Centers Is Where We Have Arrived
These robots, known as “quadrupeds,” are being used to patrol the sprawling energy-sucking complexes, which are increasingly being met with protest around the country.
STEPHEN PRAGER
Mar 17, 2026
As Americans grow fed up with the rapid encroachment of artificial intelligence data centers into their communities, tech companies are embracing a novel solution to protect their energy-sucking behemoths from danger: Even more robots... robot dogs, to be exact.
According to a report from Business Insider on Monday:
As companies pour billions into sprawling industrial campuses for cloud and AI computing, some data center operators are experimenting with four-legged bots—about the size of large dogs—that can patrol fences, inspect equipment, and flag any issues before they turn into costly outages.
These robots, known as “quadrupeds,” are being used to patrol the complexes, which can sometimes reach the size of multiple football fields.
…
One model from Boston Dynamics, known as “Spot,” can cost anywhere from $175,000 to $300,000. And while the technology may seem futuristic, Spot and other quadrupeds like it have already been enlisted in law enforcement and public safety for years.
Another company—Ghost Robotics—advertises its quadrupeds for “reconnaissance, intelligence, and surveillance use by the military.”
…more …
(The future was yesterday.)
AI-Powered Robot Dogs Guarding Reviled Data Centers Is Where We Have Arrived
https://www.commondreams.org/news/data-centers-robot-dogsAI-Powered Robot Dogs Guarding Reviled Data Centers Is Where We Have Arrived
These robots, known as “quadrupeds,” are being used to patrol the sprawling energy-sucking complexes, which are increasingly being met with protest around the country.
STEPHEN PRAGER
Mar 17, 2026
As Americans grow fed up with the rapid encroachment of artificial intelligence data centers into their communities, tech companies are embracing a novel solution to protect their energy-sucking behemoths from danger: Even more robots... robot dogs, to be exact.
According to a report from Business Insider on Monday:
As companies pour billions into sprawling industrial campuses for cloud and AI computing, some data center operators are experimenting with four-legged bots—about the size of large dogs—that can patrol fences, inspect equipment, and flag any issues before they turn into costly outages.
These robots, known as “quadrupeds,” are being used to patrol the complexes, which can sometimes reach the size of multiple football fields.
…
One model from Boston Dynamics, known as “Spot,” can cost anywhere from $175,000 to $300,000. And while the technology may seem futuristic, Spot and other quadrupeds like it have already been enlisted in law enforcement and public safety for years.
Another company—Ghost Robotics—advertises its quadrupeds for “reconnaissance, intelligence, and surveillance use by the military.”
…more …
(The future was yesterday.)
March 17, 2026
Murals and Memories: New Black Panther Park Opens in Skyway
(Seattle-ish)
Susan Fried
Published on:
Mar 16, 2026, 4:39 pm
Kids chased each other on the lightly snow-covered paths at Black Panther Park, where close to 100 people gathered on Sunday, March 15, for the unveiling of nine murals created by nine local artists. The park in Skyway is dedicated to the legacy of the Black Panther Party, and each artist interpreted the Panthers' impact on the community in their own way.
The park has been in the works for eight years, relying on the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and staff from numerous community groups, including Nyema Clark with Nurturing Roots, Jake Harris, owner of Stone Soup Gardens, and Sawhorse Revolution. And the work isn't done: There are plantings scheduled in the coming months and the installation of a 2D panther in the park in the near future. But the unveiling of the murals marked a step toward completion.
Na'eem Shareef, an original member of the Seattle Chapter of the Black Panthers, spoke briefly about the contributions the Panthers had made to society, including bringing community together and forming coalitions with groups like the American Indian Movement, the Young Lords, and the Brown Berets. "It's great to see how community comes together, all the different parts to make this work," said Shareef. "Long story short: It's about community really coming together and for all these people who have worked for almost 10 years and didn't quit. It's amazing."
Several of the artists spoke about their work and inspiration. Chloe Washington was inspired by the Black Panthers' free food program and by her friend Nyema Clark's work around food justice. In her work, she depicted images that represented the Panthers' free food program, Clark, and children. "Kids, obviously, are going to be part of the future," said Washington.
… more … photos…
Murals and Memories: New Black Panther Park Opens in Skyway (WA/Seattle ish)
https://southseattleemerald.org/community/2026/03/16/murals-and-memories-new-black-panther-park-opens-in-skywayMurals and Memories: New Black Panther Park Opens in Skyway
(Seattle-ish)
Susan Fried
Published on:
Mar 16, 2026, 4:39 pm
Kids chased each other on the lightly snow-covered paths at Black Panther Park, where close to 100 people gathered on Sunday, March 15, for the unveiling of nine murals created by nine local artists. The park in Skyway is dedicated to the legacy of the Black Panther Party, and each artist interpreted the Panthers' impact on the community in their own way.
The park has been in the works for eight years, relying on the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and staff from numerous community groups, including Nyema Clark with Nurturing Roots, Jake Harris, owner of Stone Soup Gardens, and Sawhorse Revolution. And the work isn't done: There are plantings scheduled in the coming months and the installation of a 2D panther in the park in the near future. But the unveiling of the murals marked a step toward completion.
Na'eem Shareef, an original member of the Seattle Chapter of the Black Panthers, spoke briefly about the contributions the Panthers had made to society, including bringing community together and forming coalitions with groups like the American Indian Movement, the Young Lords, and the Brown Berets. "It's great to see how community comes together, all the different parts to make this work," said Shareef. "Long story short: It's about community really coming together and for all these people who have worked for almost 10 years and didn't quit. It's amazing."
Several of the artists spoke about their work and inspiration. Chloe Washington was inspired by the Black Panthers' free food program and by her friend Nyema Clark's work around food justice. In her work, she depicted images that represented the Panthers' free food program, Clark, and children. "Kids, obviously, are going to be part of the future," said Washington.
… more … photos…
March 17, 2026
McNamara's Band/Happy tootling St. Patrick's day
Swedish uncle Julius verse!
https://m.
March 16, 2026
The Fascinating Origins of the Word “Boycott”
…
Lord Erne refused this, dispatching his trusty land agent Captain Charles Boycott to evict the revolting tenants.
Shortly before this happened, a member of the Irish Land League known as Charles Stewart Parnell had proposed dealing with landlords and land agents through a peaceful form of social ostracism rather than resorting to violence.
…
Despite the short-term economic strife it bought them, his workers stopped working in his fields and stables, as well as at his house.
Local businessmen stopped trading with him, and even the local postman refused to deliver his mail!
…
It didn’t take long for the press to pick up on the boycott, and within a matter of mere weeks, Boycott’s name was everywhere!
James Redpath of the New York Tribune was the first person to use the word in the international press shortly after the incident, and The Times used the term to describe an organized isolation in November of 1880.
… more …
A deeper look:
…
When Boycott set about evicting 11 tenants, the locals had had enough. The Mayo branch of the Irish Land League urged Boycott's employees to withdraw their labor and began a campaign of isolation against Boycott in the local community.
This campaign included shops in nearby Ballinrobe refusing to serve him, and the withdrawal of services. Boycott found himself a marked man, not fearing violence but even worse the scorn, silence, and disdain of simply everyone he encountered.
…
https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/irish-invented-boycott
The Fascinating Origins of the Word "Boycott"
https://www.thefactsite.com/boycott-word-origins/The Fascinating Origins of the Word “Boycott”
…
Lord Erne refused this, dispatching his trusty land agent Captain Charles Boycott to evict the revolting tenants.
Shortly before this happened, a member of the Irish Land League known as Charles Stewart Parnell had proposed dealing with landlords and land agents through a peaceful form of social ostracism rather than resorting to violence.
…
Despite the short-term economic strife it bought them, his workers stopped working in his fields and stables, as well as at his house.
Local businessmen stopped trading with him, and even the local postman refused to deliver his mail!
…
It didn’t take long for the press to pick up on the boycott, and within a matter of mere weeks, Boycott’s name was everywhere!
James Redpath of the New York Tribune was the first person to use the word in the international press shortly after the incident, and The Times used the term to describe an organized isolation in November of 1880.
… more …
A deeper look:
…
When Boycott set about evicting 11 tenants, the locals had had enough. The Mayo branch of the Irish Land League urged Boycott's employees to withdraw their labor and began a campaign of isolation against Boycott in the local community.
This campaign included shops in nearby Ballinrobe refusing to serve him, and the withdrawal of services. Boycott found himself a marked man, not fearing violence but even worse the scorn, silence, and disdain of simply everyone he encountered.
…
https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/irish-invented-boycott
March 15, 2026
These aren’t AI firms, they’re defense contractors. We can’t let them hide behind their models
Avner Gvaryahu
From Gaza to Iran, the pattern is the same: precision weapons, chosen blindness, and dead children. The cost of failing to regulate AI warfare is already too high
Sun 15 Mar 2026 09.00
…
Gaza was the laboratory. Minab is the market. The result is a world in which the most consequential targeting decisions in modern warfare are made by systems that cannot explain themselves, supplied by companies that answer to no one, in conflicts that generate no accountability and no reckoning. That is not a failure of the system. That is the system.
… more …
These aren't AI firms, they're defense contractors. We can't let them hide behind their models
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/mar/15/ai-defense-warfare-companiesThese aren’t AI firms, they’re defense contractors. We can’t let them hide behind their models
Avner Gvaryahu
From Gaza to Iran, the pattern is the same: precision weapons, chosen blindness, and dead children. The cost of failing to regulate AI warfare is already too high
Sun 15 Mar 2026 09.00
…
Gaza was the laboratory. Minab is the market. The result is a world in which the most consequential targeting decisions in modern warfare are made by systems that cannot explain themselves, supplied by companies that answer to no one, in conflicts that generate no accountability and no reckoning. That is not a failure of the system. That is the system.
… more …
March 14, 2026
Shoo Fly Pie And Apple Pan Dowdy - Stan Kenton (June Christy, vocal)
Happy pi day.
https://m.
March 12, 2026
American Reich: A murder in Orange County, Neo-Nazis, and
A New Age of Hate
Eric Lichtblau
2026
Answers the question: how did we get here.
White nationalism global infection. Genocide call for everyone who is not straight white Christian.
For starters: Nazi music and rallies on Nazi infested Spotify, YouTube, x despite no hate content rules. (AI making it all worse.)
The deep web. Nazi infested police and military. Long long list of killings and hate crimes.
Hidden symbols ie skull face masks as seen on ice employees.
Musk and Nazi salute not a mistake. They mean it.
This book is powerful.
March 11, 2026
FBI/Carsie Blanton red album
Well, I went down to the rally
Just to exercise my rights
Some joker I ain't never seen
Was yelling and starting fights
He's talking trash, flashing cash
Making my comrade cry
I said don't pay him no mind honey
He's probably in the FBI
[Chorus]
In the FBI (In the FBI)
In the CIA (In the CIA)
Working for the feds
To fight the Reds
On behalf of the booj-wah-zay (Booj-wah-zay)
When working people work together
It's good for you and I
And if someone says that they know better
They're probably in the FBI
… more …
https://m.
March 11, 2026
Thousands of pets being abandoned in Dubai as owners flee over Iran war
RSPCA say animals could become ‘hidden victims’ of conflict as charities in Gulf city report being overwhelmed
Helena Horton
Wed 11 Mar 2026 09.31 EDT
Thousands of pets are being abandoned in Dubai as their owners flee the Middle East because of the Iran war, animal charities have said.
The RSPCA said pets of fleeing UK nationals could become “hidden victims” of the conflict as people who had relocated to the Gulf city scramble for an exit and struggle to bring their animals.
…
“Some [pets] were microchipped and clearly once loved, but their families had gone. It’s heartbreaking for rescuers and frightening for the animals,” Mainds said.
…
K9 Friends said it could provide contacts, help and information for people trying to leave. The RSPCA added that the UK had an agreement with the UAE so that pets did not need quarantining when brought back home.
The Dubai Municipality has reacted to the rise in stray cats and dogs by launching 12 AI-powered feeding stations across the city. It is illegal to abandon pets in the UAE and if caught the offence is punishable by fines of up to tens of thousands of pounds.
//
Thousands of pets being abandoned in Dubai as owners flee over Iran war
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/11/pets-abandoned-dubai-expat-owners-flee-iran-warThousands of pets being abandoned in Dubai as owners flee over Iran war
RSPCA say animals could become ‘hidden victims’ of conflict as charities in Gulf city report being overwhelmed
Helena Horton
Wed 11 Mar 2026 09.31 EDT
Thousands of pets are being abandoned in Dubai as their owners flee the Middle East because of the Iran war, animal charities have said.
The RSPCA said pets of fleeing UK nationals could become “hidden victims” of the conflict as people who had relocated to the Gulf city scramble for an exit and struggle to bring their animals.
…
“Some [pets] were microchipped and clearly once loved, but their families had gone. It’s heartbreaking for rescuers and frightening for the animals,” Mainds said.
…
K9 Friends said it could provide contacts, help and information for people trying to leave. The RSPCA added that the UK had an agreement with the UAE so that pets did not need quarantining when brought back home.
The Dubai Municipality has reacted to the rise in stray cats and dogs by launching 12 AI-powered feeding stations across the city. It is illegal to abandon pets in the UAE and if caught the offence is punishable by fines of up to tens of thousands of pounds.
//
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